Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

Flexible spending accounts (FSA) FAQs

Yes. However, because your doctor’s office may charge more than is allowed under the vendor's agreement, the charges you pay at your doctor’s office with your debit card may be incorrect. Here’s how doctor office visits should be handled:1- Your in-network doctor should file a claim with Cigna. If the doctor doesn’t file a claim, you must file a claim with Cigna. 2- Cigna then pays your doctor the allowable amount.3- If you’re responsible for a portion of the charges (for your annual deductible or coinsurance or for amounts above vendor's out-of-network fee schedule), you can pay that out of your health care FSA after you have used all of your HealthFund funds. Note: Effective January 1, 2017, HISD no longer contributes to your HealthFund, but you may continue to use any funds you have left over from previous years to pay for eligible expenses as long as you are enrolled in an HISD medical plan.

After March 19, 2018, you may check your HealthFund balance at myCigna. You need to register before accessing the system. You can also get your balance by calling Cigna member services.

Effective January 1, 2017, HISD no longer contributes to the HealthFund. You may continue to use any funds you have left over from previous years to pay for eligible expenses as long as you are enrolled in an HISD medical plan. Your HealthFund will be used first to pay for all eligible health care costs under your medical plan.

Reminder: If enrolled, you can also use your flexible spending account for eligible medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision expenses.

We advise you to be cautious when paying for medical provider up-front costs such as deductibles and/or coinsurance. Ask the medical provider to file the claim with Cigna (depending on when you incur the charge) before you use your debit card to make sure you’re paying the correct out-of-pocket amount and to make sure your claim includes any contract discounts.

As with all reimbursement requests, you must submit a claim form and any additional required documentation. For OTC items, you need to include a cash register receipt showing the date, amount of the purchase, and the product description. Only OTC medicines require a doctor's prescription.

If you have a flexible spending account, you can use that for OTC medications at CVS, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Walgreens, and drugstore.com.

You can use your account to reimburse expenses for over-the-counter (OTC) medical supplies and products including bandages and wraps, braces and supports, catheters, contact lens solutions and supplies, contraceptives and family planning items, denture adhesives, and diabetic supplies. OTC drugs, such as antacids and cold, pain, and allergy medications aren’t eligible unless you have a prescription from your doctor. You’re not reimbursed for products that promote general health such as vitamins, nutritional supplements, toothpaste, and moisturizing lotion, even if your doctor suggests them.

Unfortunately, you lose any money left in your account after the deadline. That’s why it’s important to always plan your spending account contributions carefully. Also, you can’t transfer contributions from one flexible spending account to another.

The Internal Revenue Code states that, once a participant enrolls for a specific pre-tax contribution amount, the participant can’t change the amount unless he or she has a qualified family status change. More information about family status changes is available here.

IRS rules don’t allow transfers between flexible spending accounts. The Internal Revenue Code regulations specifically state that any amount set aside on a pre-tax basis to a specific type of flexible spending account can’t be used for any other type of expense.

You must submit a claim form, or use your FSA debit card, if you have one. The claim form provides information about required documentation and claims payment. For information on claim forms, click here. The rules about when you can receive reimbursement vary by account.• Your healthcare FSA can reimburse you up to your maximum planned contribution at any time during the year.• Your dependent daycare FSA can reimburse you up to the amount you’ve contributed to your account at the time your claim is processed. You pay for services up front and then submit a claim for reimbursement.

This is the disclaimer text. It should wrap, then the bar will grow in height if more space is needed. The blackboard footer will center if disclaimer is not being used and the background will be one color.